The Ties That Bind Us
by LadyRiverOfRohan
Summary: Charles has been having nightmares, the nightmares that Hank told him would stop, and they're all about her. She's gone and it's all his fault. Will he find her again, or would she find him, and bind the bonds that were broken? Takes place just before and during Days Of Future Past. Please no hate, this is my first fanfic. Solace Winters xxx


_Hello, everyone, no judging please, this is my first fanfic. Centres around a woman called Maria and Charles Xavier, with a little bit of Logan thrown in there too. This happens just before and during Days Of Future Past so be prepared for spoilers. There are new bits mixed in with old bits. It's basically Days Of Future Past with another character thrown in. Thanks for reading._

1986. There was blood everywhere. Blood and bones and people dying and screaming at the dark but there was no one coming. No one there to save them. Charles could see them now, sprawled around him. His people, his X Men, dying right in front of him and he knew there was nothing he could do. Banshee, Havoc, Beast, the ones who had always been with him, and Jean, Ororo and Scott, the new students, who had come, needing help. His help and now he couldn't give it. Charles tried to reach out, calling to those who could still hear him. He ran to Scott, but the young boy was too far gone. Then he saw her. She had never looked so beautiful as when she stood up against the enormous Sentinel, staring it down. She let go of Logan's hand as he whispered something in her ear. There was a look of firm determination on the young clairvoyant's face as she squared up against the enormous beast. It turned to her and Charles heard himself cry out. She turned to him and she smiled. There was a sadness in her eyes and as she turned back, he could hear her voice inside his head.

I'm Sorry My Love.

1973. Charles woke up with a start, the sheets curled around him like a straight jacket. He was gasping for breath, breathing in huge broken sobs. He felt for the sheets next to his. She wasn't there. Of course she wasn't. 'It's all my fault,' Charles thought, sinking back down onto the bed, still shaking uncontrollably. Her. The only person he had ever truly loved, the one who had always believed in him, who taught him that he could become a better person. He had driven her away, with that one senseless act. Charles felt himself sinking back into sleep, allowing himself to remember.

She walked through the halls of the mansion, walking down staircases and along halls, but still there was no one there. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'He's probably out with Hank' This thought would later make her laugh as she read the note that had been left on the fridge for her which said exactly that. The boys were always out and working on something. She smiled at that. Hank had always been so good to Charles, but especially during therapy. She padded, barefoot, back to the bedroom, where she sat on the table, drinking a soda. She heard the footsteps outside before the door opening and slamming. She ran downstairs, almost flinging herself down corridors because he was home. She'd never have done that for anyone else. The two were in the corridor when she

came hurtling down the stairs. All of a sudden, she froze. Hank had left the corridor by now and only Charles was standing in front of her. Standing in front of her. She looked up at him in utter shock and he smiled at her. "How?" was all she could manage to get out. He laughed at her shocked face, "Serum treatment for my spine" She walked right up to him now, and they kissed. Like they had never kissed before. She was so proud of him.

He was stood in the kitchen a few hours later, making dinner. He was holding the knife in his hands, trying to cut up lettuce when she came in and wrapped her arms around him. He shrugged her off lightly, trying to get on with dinner. 'Hey' she joked with him telepathically, 'My turn' He carried on chopping up lettuce and siphoning it off. She frowned, 'Hey'. He still didn't talk. "Hey," she said, causing him to turn around, "Can you hear me?" It was Charles' turn to frown now, "No... I can't hear anyone" The look on his face was elated, "It worked", he whispered. "What worked?" She was confused now, and starting to get a little angry. He couldn't look her straight into the eyes, and she was beginning to get seriously angry, "Why would you do that? Try to get rid of your powers, why?" He went back to cutting up lettuce, "You wouldn't understand..." She was past angry, she was pissed, she had always been honest with him, " Try me. " He sighed, "I just want it to stop, the nightmares, the voices." She kept her voice level, "I know, but that didn't mean taking away your power. Don't deny it, I can't feel you anymore." He was firm now, "Enough, okay, I made a choice." She wasn't giving up that easily, "Charles, your power is what makes you you, what makes you special." He interrupted her, whipping around to face her, "I said, enough" That was all it took. He hadn't realised how high he had been holding the knife and as he turned it cut into the arm, up to her shoulder, across her neck and back. He couldn't remember much of what happened after that, but he had shouted at her and pushed her and when he woke up the next morning, she wasn't there and she hadn't been there since.

Charles open his eyes slowly, a tear running down his cheek. What he would give to have her beside him again. To touch her, to hold her close to him. He turned over and opened the chest of drawers next to his bed, taking out the little black box, opening it very gently. He ran his fingers over the diamonds and sapphires on the inlay. Someday. Someday he would tell her he was sorry. Someday he would give her the ring. Someday he would see her again, face what he had done.

Maria.

She woke with a start. It was her name she had heard. She knew it better than anyone, of course she did. Was she dreaming? She pinched herself. Nope, not dreaming. Not anymore. 'That last dream was horrible', she thought, sinking onto her pillow. 'It was just a dream'. Of blood and bones and death. And of Charles saying her name. She sighed, she knew that she still loved him, but could she ever be with him again? She didn't know. She ran her fingers along the scar that ran up her arm, round to her shoulder, across her neck, down her back. She sighed, she was never going to get back to sleep now. She got up, walking through the halls of her house. Westchester. What she would give to be back there. Instead she was in Washington. She padded through the rooms barefoot and came to the one she'd been looking for. Cerebro. An exact copy. Just built for her instead of Charles. She strolled into the room and put the helmet on. At least hers didn't look like a pasta colander. The thought made her chuckle. She started the machine, reaching out with her mind.

Charles. Maria.

He heard it, he was certain. She could feel him, she was sure of it. He held onto that thought, the one that filled his mind. She held on to the memory of him, allowing herself to be connected to him.

I Love You.

As they said it, in unison, the tears began to fall. Over and over. She could feel them running down her face and his came out in huge sobs. But he let go. He pushed her out of his head, and she was gone. She shut down Cerebro, she could hear Alex and Jessica getting ready. They were bickering again, just as siblings do. She smiled, wiping the tears off her face. Just another day of work. Teaching mutants. The pair were going shopping, they shouted from upstairs. "Alright," she found herself shouting, "but don't... teleport" Too late, they were already gone. She shook her head; they were going to get into trouble with that behaviour.

She started to pick up the clothes that Jessica had left everywhere. All of a sudden, there was a ring at the door. "Coming, just give me a second" She slipped on her leggings and blue shirt and ran to open the door. It was a mutant at the door, she could feel it, and when she opened the door, she found herself in front of a man. He ragged hair was curled up into two peaks on his head, he was wearing sunglasses and behind him was a car which couldn't possibly be his. He was staring straight at her, "Maria?" She smiled, "Yes, would you like to come in?" Despite her startled nature, at least she had remembered her manners. He came in and she shut the door behind him. Her telepathy was already working on overdrive, telling her his name was Logan, he was also called the Wolverine and he came from Canada. The pair strolled into the kitchen. "Nice place you got here" said Logan, looking around. She smiled, "Would you like a drink?" He smiled at her, "No thanks, I need to talk to you about something" She smiled, "Most people do" He chuckled at that, "It's big, very big. I'm Logan, I'm from the future." She was a little stunned at this, but she let him continue, "I need your help to stop Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask." She frowned. "The head of Trask Industries?" He smiled; she seemed to be taking all of this, "I'm from the future" business well. He was gonna owe Orion twenty bucks. He said, "Yeah, the man is going to bring about the death of mutants but we can stop the mass production of the killing machines that he invents by stopping Mystique from killing him." She seemed a little unsure now, "Can I do something?" He was confused, "What?" "I can reach inside your mind and see if what you're telling me is true. If it is, then I'll help you." Logan knew he was telling the truth, so he said, "Go ahead." She was hesitant, "This isn't a one way thing, Logan, and you're going to see things from my mind too, and I can't control what you see, if you can't take it, then..." His mind was made up, "Do it."

She reached into his mind, delving deeper into his memories, and the images began to surface. The devastated Earth, mutants killed, humans vaporised, Sentinels ruling the Earth and only the X Men left to defend the Earth. Names she didn't know, Kitty, Bishop, Sunspot, Bobby, Rogue. The names she knew from her dreams, Storm, Cyclops, Jean and the names she would never forget, Charles, Erik. There was another there too, Orion. Maria felt a connection between the young woman and herself, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She slowly came out of the memory, and so did Logan. He looked a little dazed, and ran his fingers along the scar on her arm, "He did that?" She nodded. "Shit, this is gonna be harder than I thought." She frowned "What do you mean?" "I need your help to bring together the X Men, and that means that you have to bring Charles and Erik together " She was angry, "Logan, what he did, it can't be so easily undone " He smiled, "I know that." He knew what she had seen, though, so there was still one power he knew he had against her, "Then, don't do it for Charles, do it for Orion." She looked confused, "What has Orion got to do with me?" He smiled a sad smile, "Orion is your daughter." Now she really looked stunned, "My... my daughter?" Logan nodded as he could tell Maria's resolve was strengthening. The young telepath was determined now, and wasn't going to give up, "Let me pack a bag and then let's go find the X Men."

Logan would have thought that there was something wrong with his new telepath friend when they were in the car, had he not seen what was inside Maria's memory. All that pain, all that fear, you couldn't just make that go away. Maria was strong and was trying not to show how afraid she was, but he could see it in her eyes. She was staring out of the window now, as they made their way through Westchester. He should have been surprised that she didn't ask him how he knew where the school was, but he guessed that she had seen it in his memory. The pair sat in silence all through the journey, except for at the end, when Maria piped up "Logan?" He continued looking at the road, "Yeah?" She bit her lip a little, "The school, it's not going to look like you've ever seen it before. It's going to look... derelict." He turned to her, "How derelict?" They pulled into the school drive. "That derelict." She said whilst Logan looked around in wonder.

_Thanks for reading this chapter, I hope you can't wait to read the next one which I will hopefully be posting soon. Thanks, from Solace. Warning: This is generally what I do, take a story and add in another character to mix it up a bit. xxx_


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